Deaths elsewhere

Robert Howard, an Army Ranger and one of the Vietnam War's most highly decorated servicemen, receiving the Medal of Honor for leading fellow soldiers out of an ambush and fending off more than 250 troops during a two-day siege deep in enemy territory, died Dec. 23 in Waco, Tex. He was 70 and had been living in the San Antonio area since retiring from the Army in 1992 at the rank of colonel. In addition to the Medal of Honor, Howard received two awards of the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Defense Superior Service Medal, four awards of the Legion of Merit, four Bronze Stars and eight Purple Hearts. Howard served five tours in Vietnam. During one 13-month period, he was nominated for the Medal of Honor for three separate acts of heroism. In December 1968, then-Sgt. First Class Howard was part of a platoon sent into North Vietnam in search of a Green Beret whose rescue beacon reported him missing in action. While leading the patrol, Howard and his lieutenant were blown back by an anti-personnel mine that signaled a 250-man ambush on their platoon. After two days of constant firefights with North Vietnamese troops, the stranded platoon was evacuated by U.S. helicopters. WASHINGTON POST